NOTE: While not directly a prerequisite, the Masterclass in Critical Appraisal contains some foundational concepts that students might want to explore first.

Course Descriptions

Masterclass in Critical Appraisal

All professionals caring for patients with cancer want the best possible outcomes for their patients. Some of you will contribute to this goal by performing research, but all of you can contribute to this goal by becoming wise research consumers. Critical appraisal skills that allow the rigorous interpretation of clinical trial results and appropriate application of those results to their patients is a core competency for all professionals caring for people with cancer.

Professionals who have these skills will be able to offer their patients the treatments that have the best opportunity of improving the length and quality of their survival. The Queen’s Global Oncology Program has developed this free Masterclass in critical appraisal skills in collaboration with the some of the best researchers and teachers in the world. This first session of the Masterclass will focus on the interpretation of the Randomized Clinical Trial. Subsequent modules will be devoted to the other types of studies required for oncology professionals to optimize the care of their patients.

Course Outline:

Module 1: Introduction to Study Designs and Units of Measurement

Module 2: Phases of Clinical Trials

Module 3: The Randomized Controlled Trial

Module 4: Is this a Valid Surrogate Endpoint?

Module 5: Magnitude of Clinical Benefit of New Cancer Therapies

Module 6: Bias, Hype and Conflicts of Interest

Module 7: Putting It All Together

Masterclass in Biostatistics

In this course, oncology trainees and professionals will build on foundational concepts in biostatistics that were gained in the first Queen's Global Oncology Masterclass in Critical Appraisal, focused on critical appraisal of randomized clinical trials. Participants will develop skills that will allow them to interpret clinical research data critically, allowing them to effectively introduce clinical research data supporting high quality care into their evidence-based practice. This Masterclass will also be of value to oncology trainees and professionals who want to design high quality research studies.

Course Outline:

Module 1: Introduction to Biostatistics
Instructor: Dr. Thiwanka Wijeratne

Module 2: Time to event analysis
Instructor: Prof. Emeritus Joe Pater

Module 3: Comparison Measures in Clinical Trials
Instructor: Prof. Emeritus Joe Pater

Module 4: Hypothesis Testing
Instructor: Dr. Indranil Mallick

Module 5: Power / Sample Size / Significance
Instructor: Dr. Indranil Mallick

Module 6: Measures of Association / Confidence Interval
Instructor: Dr. Alan Hackshaw

Module 7: Regression Analysis - Adjustment for Covariates
Instructor: Dr. Alan Hackshaw

Module 8: Multiple Testing
Instructor: Dr. Marc Buyse

Masterclass in Enabling Research

This Masterclass in Enabling Research addresses a critical need for oncology trainees and professionals who wish to design and conduct clinical research that will support high quality, evidence-based practice.

Module 1: Selecting your research question
Instructor: Dr. Ian Tannock

Module 2: Literature searching in PubMed database
Instructor: Sandra Mckeown

Module 3: Data collection and data entry pitfalls
Instructor: Wilma Hopman

Module 4: Tools to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis
Instructor: Dr. Thiwanka Wijeratne

Module 5: Fundamentals in writing and presenting your work
Instructor: Dr. Ian Tannock

Acknowledgement:
Course Instructors
Dr. Thiwanka Wijeratne
Prof. Emeritus Joe Pater
Dr. Indranil Mallick
Prof. Alan Hackshaw
Dr. Marc Buyse
Dr. Ian Tannock
Sandra Mckeown
Wilma Hopman
Prof. Priya Ranganathan

Course Development
Dr. Scott Berry - Queen's Global Oncology Masterclass Course Director
Dr. Colleen Savage - Course Coordinator

Audience

The course is designed for all oncology trainees and professionals.

PLEASE NOTE:
The information presented in this course is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice, or other advice for any particular issue or subject. D2L Corporation and Queen's Global Oncology Program are not responsible for, and expressly disclaim all liability for, damages of any kind arising out of the use, reference to, or reliance on this course material.

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• Start Date: April 3, 2025
• End Date: April 3, 2026
• Duration: Each course is approximately 3 hours in length
• Cost: FREE